To my surprise, in the hostel my dog was only allowed to stay at my single hostel room. This was difficult because my dog wants to be near me especially in strange places. Going to toilet or to hostel kitchen to make food was a nightmare, and the owner told me personally that it is customers problem, not hers. My dog was also able to open the door of our room, so I had to tie it to the bed in order to obey the house rules. There was always someone from the personnel around to check that the house rules were kept, except after 8pm. Nowadays dogs are allowed in many restaurants etc. in Finland, so I will surely not visit this place with my dog in the future.

Another episode was that I had personally go and tell my loudly vodka drinking neighbors (from our eastern neighbor) to keep quiet at the night time (2 occasions at 23.15 and 23.30, house-rule-silence was 10pm). Luckily these big guys were friendly and understood my gestures.

Otherwise a nice place.

My partner and I stayed six nights at Kuerkievari, our winter vacation. The plan was to ski to our hearts' content - which we did, both on the skiing trails and slopes. I found Kuerkievari hotel on TripAdvisor and chose to book it based on its excellent reviews.

We were both more than happy with this intimate, no-frills family-owned hotel! Marikki, the owner and head of staff, and the rest of the staff were all welcoming, perfect hosts.

I especially enjoyed the buffet style breakfast with its homemade breads and jams. On a couple of occasion we also had dinner at the hotel. I can totally recommend it: now what could be more convenient after a long day spent outdoors than to dine in? The three-course meal they serve is simple homemade food (meat stew, lasagna etc.), but it is well made and tasty. The dining room (where also breakfast is served) is a little basic but it does have a fireplace where there was always a fire at breakfast and dinner.

We stayed in the room they call the Northern Lights room - where, should you be lucky, you can spot Northern Lights from the window. Unfortunately we had no such luck, as on the only night there was a chance of spotting them, we went to bed very early. In the room there was plenty of space for the two of us, and the beds were very comfortable. I especially liked the fact that there were windows facing in three different directions, something that is not very usual. So, I recommend that you request room no. 29!

After a day spent in the outdoors I also recommend trying the saunas which there are two, one for women, one for men. It is the perfect relaxation! And, if there's fresh new snow and you're brave enough, you could slip around the corner of the building and dive into a pile of snow for something very special! A friendly warning though: it is very easy to dive in but another thing to get up, as you are likely to sink further into the snow. It was fun!

The hotel is located in a quiet area outside of the Äkäslompolo village, on the slope of the Kuerkievari fell. The surroundings are lovely, but the downside is that there is a bit of a walk to the village with a 20-minute brisk walk to the nearest restaurant (which happens to be the No. 1 restaurant in the village, at least according to Tripadvisor). Shops and other restaurants are even further away. You should therefore be prepared to either walk or take a taxi to get around.

A skiing trail is located across the yard, but to hit the slopes it's best to order a taxi (usually takes 15 minutes).

As a retired couple, we have just completed a week (1-7 Feb 19) cross country skiing in the Akaslompolo area, Lapland in Northern Finland. We stayed at the Kuer Hotel located 2K from Akaslompolo.

The Kuer is a small family owned and run hotel hostel. From our first enquiry to our final departure, the hotel staff and family member/manageress, Mia (perfect English), could not have been more helpful. Mia advised on travel options, accommodation options and other fine details which helped to make our stay memorable and very pleasant. Not a skier? there are numerous other activities on offer.

We would rate our Kuer Hotel & Akaslompolo skiing experience up there with the best from Norway or Austria. It can be cold (-25C) but we adjusted our clothing very quickly and skied comfortably every day (recommend hand warmer packs and ‘smart wool’ thermals & socks which proved ideal). More than enough skiing daylight hours and head torch works for when it is dark.

Access to the 130k plus track network with generous flood lit tracks is virtually at the Kuer front door. The tracks are groomed almost daily and there are web sites for following real-time grooming up-dates and progress. The Kuer track section was normally groomed by late morning. The condition of the tracks is 100% with lovely skiing through wooded areas and a full range of graded tracks, ideal for both recreational and higher tempo skiing. The nearby groomed lake is great for beginners and the tracks were not overcrowded.

The Kuer hotel has ideal ski storage and waxing room facilities. Our double room was very well appointed with easy access to the dining area, I highly recommend the sauna, and the brilliant clothes drying cabinets which dealt with damp ski clothing within an hour. We were well fed and well looked after.

Travelling from Northern Ireland via Dublin, Helsinki and Kittila was a long day but seamless and hassle free. On arrival late at night we received a generous welcoming snack in our room. We budgeted for the not-so-cheap but speedy taxi option from Kittila airport to the Kuer hotel. Tiered, dark, cold, late arrival and baggage laden it proved to be money well spent.

If you want bars, night life, disco, a crowded noisy buzz and possibly a hang over the next day the Kuer hotel may not be for you, stay in Akaslompolo.

The Kuer is peaceful, beautiful, off the beaten track but easily accessible. Perfect for family, individual or team-training skiing. I rate the Kuer 10/10, providing an excellent cross country skiing location and experience, we will certainly consider going again.